A jury on Friday found two men guilty of human smuggling charges linked to a sophisticated international operation that ended in the deaths of a family of Indian migrants. The family froze to death while attempting to cross the Canada-US border during a brutal blizzard in January 2022, Stuff has reported.
The convicted men, Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national known by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida, played key roles in the smuggling ring, prosecutors said. They were each convicted on four counts related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the US illegally.
Steve Shand, left, and Harshkumar Patel/Photo: Supplied
“This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and the greed that puts profit over humanity,” said Minnesota US Attorney Andy Luger, as quoted by Stuff. He highlighted the tragic loss of a family—Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben, in her mid-30s, their 11-year-old daughter Vihangi, and 3-year-old son Dharmik—who froze to death near the Minnesota-Canada border on January 19, 2022.
The family, schoolteachers by profession, left behind a comfortable life in Gujarat, India, driven by the hope of a better future in the US. Tragically, their dreams ended in sub-zero temperatures during the perilous journey across the border.
Details of the Operation
Prosecutors revealed that Patel coordinated the smuggling operation while Shand acted as a driver. Shand was tasked with picking up 11 Indian migrants after their crossing into Minnesota. Only seven survived the journey. Canadian authorities later discovered the Patel family’s frozen bodies near the border.
The trial, held in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, included testimony from border patrol agents, forensic experts, a survivor of the deadly crossing, and an alleged participant in the smuggling network.
Rajinder Singh, 51, a witness and smuggler associated with the operation, testified that he earned over USD 400,000 (NZD 685,000) smuggling more than 500 people, mostly from Gujarat. He detailed how migrants paid as much as USD 100,000 (NZD 171,000) to be smuggled from India to the US, often ending up in low-wage jobs to pay off their debts. Singh said the network operated through "hawala," an informal trust-based money transfer system.
Legal Strategies and Convictions
During the trial, defence attorneys for Patel and Shand presented contrasting arguments. Shand’s lawyers claimed he was unwittingly dragged into the scheme, while Patel’s team argued he had been misidentified and that the nickname “Dirty Harry” in Shand’s phone referred to another individual.
Despite these claims, prosecutors successfully argued that both men were complicit. The most serious charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, though actual sentencing will depend on federal guidelines.
Rise in Illegal Immigration
The case highlights a sharp increase in illegal immigration from India along the US-Canada border. In the year ending September 2022, US Border Patrol arrested over 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border—60% of all arrests there and more than 10 times the number recorded two years earlier. According to Pew Research Center estimates, over 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the US as of 2022, behind only Mexicans and Salvadorans.
A Stark Reminder
Jamie Holt, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, called the case a grim reminder of the dangers of human smuggling.
“Human smuggling is a vile crime that preys on the vulnerable, exploiting their desperation and dreams for a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering endured by this family is unimaginable, and it is our duty to ensure such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.”
The tragedy left a lasting impression on the jury. Kevin Paul, a juror from Clearwater, Minnesota, admitted it was difficult to view photos of the frozen family.
“It’s pretty brutal,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.”
The trial exposed not just the cruelty of the smuggling ring but also the human cost of its greed, reminding the world of the perils many migrants face in their pursuit of a better life.
ISSUE
